Irazu
vegan-friendly
$ - inexpensive
Central American
$ - inexpensive
Central American
Veg friendly Costa Rican
Irazu is one of the few (if only) Costa Rican restaurants in Chicago. The dining area is small and cozy.
They have veg-friendly items on the menu, including plantain, which is popular. They also do fruit shakes with mango, banana, and exotic Costa Rican-native fruits like guanabana or pinolillo. They can be made with either milk or water.
Directions:
On Milwaukee near Western. Walking distance from the Western/Milwaukee stop of the blue line. Also accessible via the #56 Milwaukee bus.
Added by Jonathon Cihlar on Jun 23 07 (updated Jun 25 07)
Though they do have a number of vegetarian entrees, I really didn't find the food to be all that great. Avoid the plaintains con mojo - they are insanely greasy - literal puddles of grease greasy. I had the vegetarian burrito without cheese and sour cream, and it was just a flavorless burrito with a little hunk of avocado. The service was slow, and the waiter was nowhere to be found for very long stretches, especially when I needed a refill on water on a hot and humid day.